WITH evening racing now in full swing, there has obviously been a lot more racing over last few weeks, but there has also been an abundance of local winners.

Kevin Ryan, who trains at the top of Sutton Bank, stole the show at Thirsk last Saturday with an amazing 111-1 treble, all ridden by stable jockey Neil Callan. The featured race of the day was the Totesport.com Thirsk Hunt Cup in which Ryan saddled Flawed Genius to victory and stable-mate Majuro to finish a credible fourth after slipping coming out of the stalls.

Afterwards the trainer said: “I felt Flawed Genius had a big chance from stall three, and the tongue-tie has made a bid difference to him.”

Ryan’s other two winners came with Here Now And Why who hacked up in the opening two year-old race, before Horatio Carter had his turn in the sunshine, in the 7f handicap.

Dandy Nicholls, who also trains close to the track, was in double form with Mandurah in the 5f handicap partnered by Silvestre de Sousa, before the handler’s son Adrian got the leg up on Hysterical Lady, in the 6f handicap.

After Thirsk had finished, the trainer travelled down the A1 with Silvestre de Sousa, and the pair were rewarded with another winner Agent Stone in the 6f maiden. However, Nicholls’ biggest winner of the week came last Sunday at Newmarket when Even And Odds came home in front in the Heritage Handicap under son Adrian again.

Just to put the icing on the cake, Guest Connections won on Sunday for the stable up at Hamilton’s first meeting of the year. Also victorious at the Scottish was Alan Swinbank who saddled the first two home in the 11f maiden.

Caelaverock piped stablemate Stanstill in a driving finish and looks the type to keep progressing. Jockey Phil Makin ended last week by riding two doubles at Redcar and Musselburgh for trainer David Barron, and that’s exactly how the Thirsk-based jockey started this week.

Barron provided Makin with his first winner at Newcastle on Monday when Tres Coronas stayed on well to win the two year-old race. Later in the day, Tiger Reigns got the verdict in a tight finish for Makin and trainer Michael Dods.

Ann Duffield had a welcome winner on Monday at Beverley when Berriedale came home in front in the Classified Stakes at the odds of 40-1.

Catterick staged a six-race card on Tuesday evening, and in the end half the winners came from nearby Middleham.

First local winner was Bijou Dan for George Moore, before Liberty Ship trained by James Bethell lost his maiden tag in the 5f sprint.

Mark Johnston, who rarely leaves Catterick without a winner, had to wait until the last race to get on the scoresheet with Cotswolds, who came home with five lengths to spare in the 7f maiden.

Next week is one of horse racing’s biggest in Yorkshire’s racing calendar when York open their doors for the first time since last July with the traditional three-day Dante Festival (Wednesday, Thursday and Friday), with seven races on each day, starting at 1.40 pm.

On Thursday, Crowded House, the long-time antepost favourite for the Derby is expected to line-up for the totesport Dante Stakes – Britain’s richest, highestrated and often most informative Derby trial.

The opening day, Wednesday, features a pair of Group races, the Tattersalls Musidora Stakes and the Duke Of York Stakes. Top-class threeyear- old fillies contest the Group 3 Musidora Stakes – a leading trial for the Oaks next month – and supported for the 24th year by Tattersalls, Europe’s leading bloodstock auctioneers. Last year’s winner, the Irish-trained Lush Lashes, went on to win three Group 1 races, including the Darley Yorkshire Oaks.

The £100,000 Group 2 Duke Of York Stakes over 6f should attract a host of top sprinters. Last year a tight finish saw Assertive, from the yard of Richard Hannon hold off War Artist, with the pair continuing to meet in top sprints over the remainder of the season.

Before that, however, we have a couple of competitive evening race cards to have a look at. Ripon races tonight, first race due off at 5.50 pm, before Thirsk follow suit tomorrow evening where the action gets under way at 6.10 pm.

This evening, there is an interesting handicap at 6.55, where Tim Easterby’s Malcheek is fancied to go close. His front running style should suit the track in the 6f handicap.

David Barker, who has runners at both Ripon tonight and Thirsk tomorrow, is currently in James Cook University Hospital in Middlesbrough recovering from surgery after being diagnosed with lung cancer. The popular Scorton trainer, who recently celebrated his 40th birthday with a winner at Catterick said before he went into hospital: “It has been found by accident and hopefully it’s early enough – I am going in for five days and they are taking the lung out.’ Thoughts are with David and his family.